Speaker
Silke Weinfurtner
Description
A major problem of quantum field theory in curved
spacetime, and quantum gravity more generally, is the
lack of sufficient observational and experimental
guidance. To address this issue we utilise the possibility
to explore various phenomena of classical and quantum
field theory in curved spacetimes in table-top
experiments. The overall programme is based on the
existence of analogue models for gravity, demonstrating
that certain effects predicted within quantum field theory
in curved spacetimes can be mimicked in easy-to-access
physical systems, such as fluids, superfluids and fibre
optics. In contrast to many other studies in quantum
field theory in curved spacetimes and quantum gravity,
the project objectives are not only theoretical, but also
of experimental nature. In detail I will discuss how we
study Hawking radiation, the Penrose effect and
cosmological particle production in analogue gravity
experiments.
